


The Pumpkin King

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nightmare Before Christmas Fusion, Eventual Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Kylo as Sally, M/M, Poe as Jack, Snoke Being a Dick (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:35:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27249655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Poe Dameron, Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, gets the idea to...adapt some Christmas traditions to the town. Hilarity (and chaos) ensue.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5
Collections: The Darkpilot Library





	1. This Is Halloween

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Call this a celebration of the fact that I’m watching Nightmare Before Christmas with friends today. There’ll definitely be liberties taken with the story, of course — as I’m trying to translate a source material with songs in it.

It wasn’t the first time that Kylo, current property of Snoke, had snuck out of Snoke’s house and it wouldn’t be the last. 

It was foolish without a doubt, but he always had a sort of admiration for Poe Dameron, the Pumpkin King, as well as the Halloween parades. There were clowns with tearaway faces, other residents of Halloweentown lining up to do their part...

And as Kylo watched as Poe rode in — on fire, at that. He should be scolding Poe for his foolishness and admiring him all at once — doing the sorts of acrobatics on a horse that Kylo had never seen before before dunking himself in the pool...well, it was worth risking Snoke’s wrath just for that. 

***

Even as Poe Dameron, the Pumpkin King, rose up from the goop and grime that had been brewed as a sort of tribute to the baptisms of the living world, the citizens of Halloweentown cheered uproariously. Poe smiled, if faintly — the truth was, he did feel pressured by Mayor Organa to live up to his title as the Pumpkin King. Still, it was his job, and he was going to do it to the last. 

Amidst the congratulations and praise, Poe couldn’t help but feel like he was just going through the motions. It was in the midst of it that he saw Kylo Ren, having...some sort of altercation with Snoke. 

Doctor Snoke. The man who had taken his creator Palpatine’s place after he had been excommunicated from Halloweentown and condemned to be the boogeyman that haunted children’s nightmares. Poe couldn’t make out quite what they were saying, but he could catch something about “deadly nightshade" — ah. Apparently, Kylo had tried to sneak out to see the parade. 

Snoke could definitely be scary in how possessive he was of Kylo, and if it were in Poe’s power, he would get Kylo out of there. 

”Excuse me,” Poe said. “Is there a problem?”

Snoke released Kylo. “Not at all, Poe,” he said. “An excellent show, as always. Like last year, and the year after that...”

Poe had to suppress the urge to strangle him. 

”I think you did brilliantly.” Kylo said. He was an odd-looking creation — originally made by Mayor Organa before having a falling out with her and leaving for Snoke’s. A rag doll, gangly in nature, with stringy black hair. Quite handsome, actually. Poe didn’t miss the way that Kylo seemed to look at him, almost like he was impressed by the rather unimposing skeleton figure in a nice suit. ”Really.”

***

Even as Poe got to the top of the hill that had a good view of the full moon, he couldn’t help but feel Snoke’s jab really sting. _Like last year, and the year after that..._

He kicked absently at a bit of snow, imagining it momentarily to be Snoke —

“You shouldn’t let Snoke get to you.”

Poe jolted. He was a master of fright, known throughout places like England, France, Guatemala...”Mr. Unlucky”, as one guy had called him once. Still, he couldn’t deny that Kylo made him nearly jump. 

”Does Snoke know you’re here?” Poe said in an almost conspiratorial whisper. 

”What Snoke doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Kylo said, winking. Then, “And speaking of Snoke...he shouldn’t have said what he said to you. I think you’re brilliant. Halloweentown’s holding itself together because of you. He’s just angry because of Sidious. Y’know?”

"Yes, I know.” Poe sighed. “What if he’s right, though? What if I’m...in a rut? I’ve been feeling like I’m in a rut for quite some time.”

”Oh.” Kylo looked up at him. “I...didn’t know you felt that way.”

”Yeah.” Poe smiled a bit wryly — as wryly as a skeleton could smile, at least. "I don’t know what I want to do. Something different. Something important.”

”I...” Kylo swallowed. “I know how you feel. I really do. I just wonder if things would be different if...”

Poe didn’t have to hear him say he wanted to run away from Snoke. He already inferred it. 

***

They walked outside the gate, Poe’s ghost dog Blythe (or BB) wagging his tail all the while. Poe sighed; somehow, he hated to see Kylo go. “Don’t let Snoke get you down,” he said. “You’re going?”

”I am,” Kylo said. “And where are you going?”

”A walk. Just for a bit.”

”Well, you shouldn’t let Snoke get you down either,” Kylo said. A faint smile. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

”Me too.”

Kylo walked away. 

***

It was as Poe was walking through the forest that he must have taken a wrong turn or something, because that was when he saw the doors. Doors that he’d never seen before, painted with different symbols. That one was an egg, that one was a tree...

”This is new,” Poe muttered. “What is this?”

He shouldn’t have turned the knob. Because it was in that moment he thought of Alice and her rabbit hole as he was sucked in.


	2. What’s This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe discovers Christmastown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: I know Halloween’s technically over, but Christmas is on its way, so...

Of all the things that Poe expected, the explosion of colors and music and joy wasn’t one of them — and as he stumbled back to the portal to the woods, he knew he had to have it for his own. 

It was when Poe actually got back to Halloweentown that Mayor Organa approached him. “Poe!” she said. “Where have you been?”

”It’s a long story,” Poe said, grinning. “I was thinking — once we call a town meeting, I can tell people about it.”

”When?” Mayor Organa said. She seemed to be getting even more confused.

”What do you think?” Poe said. “Immediately!” But he wasn’t angry at all. Instead, somehow, he felt a sort of elation. Like he was finally getting himself out of this rut he was in. 

***

It was when the town meeting was called that Poe got up in front of everyone, showing off different objects from Christmastown. Presents, stockings, trees, and, of course, the mystical being with a reindeer-led sled known as Luke Sky-walker. (He could have sworn that Mayor Organa did wince a little when he brought up the name “Sky-walker". Why?)

”It sounds like a splendid idea,” Mayor Organa said. “We can find a way to...adapt it. There’s no rule saying we can’t.”

***

Kylo had found a way to sneak out of Snoke’s clutches again, and for that, Poe had to applaud him. “You know,” he said, “You could just...stay with me for the night. Even Snoke wouldn’t think to bully the Pumpkin King.”

Although, then again, considering that he was starting to adapt the traditions of Christmastown...was he really the Pumpkin King anymore? Poe had no idea. He had to admit that the idea was exciting — and terrifying. 

”Perhaps,” Kylo said. He sounded a bit shy now, almost like he was wondering if Poe the Pumpkin King would really allow him to stay there.

”It would be an honor,” Poe said, and he didn’t miss the way that a smile seemed to tug at Kylo’s stitched on lips. 

***

”There’s got to be a logical way to explain this Christmas thing.” Poe was already pacing around the room of his house, while BB slept soundly. “I mean...there was something about being there which was like — it was like I was happy.”

”You’re not happy here?” Kylo said. 

”No, it’s not like that at all. But...maybe it’s a way I can show Snoke.”

”You don’t have to,” Kylo said. “I mean...you’re the King of Halloween, and Snoke’s nobody.”

Poe did actually smile at him. “Yeah. Maybe the Christmas thing can at least be a bit of fun...”

”Fun.”

”But yeah...maybe we could start by going over the Christmas stories?”

***

”I admit I don’t understand this one,” Kylo said when they finished _A Christmas Carol_. “I mean...no one realistically changes the way Scrooge does. Three visits...well, four visits from ghosts and Scrooge suddenly becomes a good man? No one changes that quickly.”

”I like to believe in the power of redemption,” Poe said. 

”You really are an idealist,” Kylo said, but he was smiling. 

”I just always believed in it,” Poe said. “I mean, here...you could count on one hand the creatures who are actually mean. That’s our job but we’re not mean and all...”

Kylo actually did chuckle, but Poe thought he could detect affection there. Friendshippy affection, though. Kylo’s feelings for him didn’t go beyond just admiring him even when he didn’t deserve it. 

”But yeah.” Poe wrote down CHRISTMAS AS REDEMPTION in his notebook. “Redemption...problem is, you can’t really make redemption tangible...let’s try another one...”

***

Bless Kylo, he seemed to be looking after Poe when Poe forgot to eat. Poe was grateful for that; he needed the break, in between writing equations, doing experiments, and one hilariously poor attempt to make a paper snowflake.

”Poe,” Kylo said, “You think that you may be overanalyzing this?”

”Why?”

”Well,” Kylo said, “Just because it’s not tangible doesn’t mean you can’t believe it...”

It hit Poe. “Kylo, you are a genius! It’s like your mother said; we can adapt. Borrow some elements, make it our own...”

”Exactly. I mean...obviously, you need a suit. What do you remember about Sky-walker’s suit?”

”Well,” Poe said, “I remember that it was red, with white fur lining, and he had this bag of toys...”


End file.
